Classic Albums: Never Mind the Bollocks

Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols (or simply Never Mind The Bollocks) is the only studio album by the highly influential and controversial English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. Fans and critics alike generally regard it as an extremely important album in the history of rock music, citing the lasting influence it has had on subsequent punk rock musicians, as well as other musical genres that were influenced by such punk rock artists. In 2003, Rolling Stone rated it forty-first on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The album was released on 27 October 1977 through Virgin Records amid controversy arising from the use of the coarse slang word (in British English) "bollocks" in its title.
Older versions of most of the album's songs also appeared on a bootleg album called Spunk, which consists of demo recordings the band had made during 1976 and January 1977, and which was released shortly before Never Mind The Bollocks.

Deep Purples Machine Head is one of the definitive rock albums of the 70s. Recorded in 1972 it features the classic Deep Purple line up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice at the very peak of their creative powers and became their most commercially successful album worldwide.The story of the albums creation, in the rooms and corridors of the Grand Hotel in Montreux following a fire which burnt down the Casino where they were planning to record, was immortalized in their all time classic track Smoke On The Water.This latest addition to the Classic Albums series features exclusive interviews with all the members of the band plus Martin Birch, the albums engineer, and renowned rock journalist Chris Welch. Alongside the interviews there is archive footage of the band performing tracks from the album in concert. Bonus features include very rare American footage of the band performing Smoke On The Water and the original 1972 promo film for Never Before.

In the late '60s, the notion that reggae would become more than just a novelty act would have been laughed at. To break into the mainstream, the movement needed a powerful voice of prophetic proportions. This voice emerged from the collective work of three pioneering friends from Jamaica, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Robert Nesta Marley, who sought to bring about an ideological revolution through deeply meditative, hypnotic, and spiritual music. Catch a Fire was the Wailers' and reggae's introduction to the world and turned Bob Marley into a mega-icon of enormous proportions. It was the first album to remain true to the traditions of reggae music while having enough elements that were accessible to popular culture.

GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD gave Elton John his second number one album in both the American and British charts and provided him with four top ten singles. Interviews with Elton John himself, as well as with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, there are contributions from musicians Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson, Gus Dudgeon (producer), David Hentschel (engineer), Del Newman (orchestral arranger) along with comments from Sir Tim Rice and Paul Gambaccini amongst others.

This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series takes a track-by-track look at the making of the record with both Reed and his engineer Ken Scott poring over the original multi-tracks for the album. Additionally, there is archival footage of the Velvet Underground, an interview with the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and a discussion with bassist Herbie Flowers about the origins of the famous bassline for "Walk on the Wild Side."

A vivid portrait of a '70s record that is still as fresh and memorable today as when it was released more than two decades ago. Pioneering pop/jazz band Steely Dan, formed by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker in the early seventies, had already secured five Top 40 albums before the release of Aja in 1977. Aja, however, was to prove to be the biggest selling album of Steely Dan's illustrious career, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard chart and spending a year in the Top 40. Becker and Fagen, renowned for their relentless perfectionism in the recording studio, recall the history of an album that was a year in the making, but rewarded with a Grammy Award and three hit singles. Steely Dan's Aja has proven to be one of the most outstanding jazz-rock albums in the history of popular music and now its story is told in this fascinating documentary.

This film tells the story behind the creation of this great rock 'n' roll album and the dramatic transformation in the band's career that took place following its release. Through interviews, new and archive performances and analysis we discover how Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch created their songs and sounds with the help of Co-Producer Jimmy Iovine and Engineer Shelly Yakus.

The second album by Black Sabbath, released in 1970, has long attained classic status. Paranoid not only changed the face of rock music, but also defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history. The result of a magic chemistry which had been discovered between four English musicians, it put Black Sabbath firmly on the road to world domination.

This programme tells the story behind the writing, recording and success of the album. Despite vilification from the Christian and moral right and all the harsh criticism that the music press could hurl at them, Paranoid catapulted Sabbath into the rock stratosphere.

Using exclusive interviews, musical demonstration, archive footage and a return to the multi-tracks with engineer Tom Allom, the film reveals how Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward created their frighteningly dark, heavy and ear-shatteringly loud sound.

A mix of old favorites and buried treasures makes this edition of Who's Next a definite must. One of the defining albums of 70s hard rock from one of the 60s most successful bands, the original album includes some of The Who's best-known work, such as the anthemic "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", the by turns sorrowful and angry "Behind Blue Eyes", and perennial favorite "My Wife". The new tracks on this album are equally worth hearing, including "Pure and Easy" (an alternate edition of which is available on Odds & Sods) and the original version of "Behind Blue Eyes". A hard rock classic, Who's Next is required listening for rock fans of all ages.

This installment of the Classic Albums series, in which rock stars talk about the creation of their albums, focuses on the making of British Steel, the 1980 album by Judas Priest, a working class British, heavy metal band led by screechy lead singer Rob Halford. As Halford (who has since left the band) and his mates explain what went into the lyrics and recording of the songs that made up the record, the talking heads are intercut with performance footage of a band that helped launch the metal and speed-metal surge of the 1980s and early 1990s.

The songs and story of this classic album with contributions by Meat Loaf, Jim Steinman, Todd Rundgren, Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito. Since its release in 1977, Bat Out of Hell has gone on to sell an estimated 30 million copies and become one of the top five biggest selling albums of all time. Released during the days of the disco boom and the advent of punk rock, Bat Out of Hell totally bucked those musical trends, yet as Meat Loaf recalls, the record is "more honest than 99% of all records released." The remarkable story of Bat Out of Hell is told here by its leading contributors, including Meat Loaf himself, composer Jim Steinman, record producer Todd Rundgren, and backing vocalists Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito, together with others who helped in the construction of Bat Out of Hell's "wall of sound." Featuring archival footage, interviews and live performances, this is the compelling story of the making of one of rock music's finest hours, a true classic album

Queen: The Making Of A Night At The Opera tells the track by track story of the album through new interviews with Brian May, Roger Taylor and producer Roy Thomas Baker along with archive interviews with Freddie Mercury and contributions from photographer Mick Rock, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and Ian Hunter from Mott The Hoople amongst others. Illustrated by classic live footage, much of it from the Hyde Park free concert in 1976, and in depth studio analysis the film gives an intimate portrait of the making of a true classic album and is a worthy addition to our acclaimed and highly successful Classic Albums series.

The latest addition to the acclaimed & award winning Classic Albums series tells the story behind the making of two legendary albums from Rush. 2112 was the album that saw Rush break through to major chart success, going to No.1 in their native Canada and Top 75 in the USA where it would eventually be certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures opened them to a mass audience for the first time and remains the biggest selling album of their career. It also went to No.1 in Canada and went quadruple platinum there while hitting No.3 in both the UK and USA. Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart talk us through the making of the albums, together with original producer Terry Brown via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.

Def Leppard is a British hard rock band formed in 1977. The success of their albums Pyromania and Hysteria, promoted by the singles Photograph and Pour Some Sugar on Me, made the band one of rock's best-sellers in the 80s. In this episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series, the surviving members of Def Leppard discuss the making of "Hysteria" as they sort through and explain the original multi-track tapes. In addition, some impromptu acoustic performances and musical demonstrations further dissect this classic album.

This Classic Albums series tells the story behind the making of this legendary album. There are contributions from all the band members, main producer Andrew Weatherall, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and many others involved in the creation of this masterpiece.

Primal Scream's seminal album Screamadelica was released in 1991, and synthesized the band's rock 'n' roll roots with the dance culture of that time; for many, the album's sound and imagery came to be regarded as quintessential symbols of the acid house era, perfectly catching the spirit and mood of the early 90s.

Using rare archive footage and special performances, this film tells the story of Screamadelica and its hit singles and dance anthems Loaded, Movin' On Up, Come Together and Don't Fight It, Feel It. From the formation of the band in Glasgow to winning the first-ever Mercury prize, the band members explain the record's inception with insights from main producer Andrew Weatherall, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and many others involved with or inspired by this joyful record.

SIMPLY RED, with their soulful pop songs, will go down in history as one of the UK's biggest and most successful pop bands of the late eighties and early nineties. Formed in 1984, Mick Hucknall and co. released their debut album "Picture Book" in 1985, which went platinum, making SIMPLY RED one of that year's major success stories. Their following albums, "Men And Women" and "A New Flame" respectively, continued this success but it was the arrival of SIMPLY RED's fourth album "Stars", released in September 1991 that would change history forever.

An outstanding entry in the Classic Albums video series, this hourlong documentary, produced in 1999, assembles the creators of U2's The Joshua Tree to comment about the musical magic that occurred a dozen years earlier in a home studio in Dublin. Merging past and present, coproducers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, mixer Steve Lillywhite, and guitarist The Edge isolate separate tracks on the album's master tapes to illustrate how some of U2's greatest songs were layered with each individual's crucial contributions. Bono listens in while Lanois deconstructs the masters, appearing genuinely shy about his vocal tracks but eloquent in describing the album as "not Irish at all" in its innovative sound, but "very Irish" in terms of the emotions that inspired it. Later, The Edge describes the "cinematic" sound of the album, intended to transport the listener to a specific physical location based on each song's mood and atmosphere.
Bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen weigh in with illuminating comments, and the hour offers an abundance of video excerpts, concert footage, and memorable anecdotes. Eno sets the record straight on the torturous process of recording "Where the Streets Have No Name" (he almost "accidentally" erased the master tape in hopes of starting from scratch), and Bono admits to a heavy Led Zeppelin influence on "Bullet the Blue Sky." Archival footage shows the recording in progress (one wishes there were more of it), and what emerges from this collective reminiscence is an enlightening study of mutual chemistry and fruitful collaboration. Upon viewing this video, another listening to The Joshua Tree will be more rewarding than ever.

The legendary and infamous New York Dolls at their best! Amazing rare live clips and interviews filmed by Bob Gruen and Nadya Beck in the heady days of the band's ascension in the 70s. Footage from early shows in NYC all the way to the TV studios, clubs and swimming pools of Los Angeles. Black and white film was never so colorful! Includes ripping versions of ""Personality Crisis,"" ""Who Are the Mystery Girls?"" ""Babylon"" and more. See the incredible early days of the band that influenced generations of punks and rockers.

The latest addition to the Classic Albums series tells the story behind the making of Peter Gabriel's 1986 album 'So'. It was Gabriel's 5th solo album and the first one to have a title (the others simply being called 'Peter Gabriel'). The album spawned a number of hits including 'Sledgehammer', 'Big Time', 'Don't Give Up' (a duet with Kate Bush) and 'In Your Eyes' which drove 'So' to multi-platinum worldwide sales and No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in the US. 'So' was very much an album of the MTV generation and the distinctive videos for tracks like 'Sledgehammer', 'Red Rain', 'Big Time' and 'Don't Give Up' were key factors in the album's success. Featuring contributions from many of those involved in the making of the album and the videos, including Peter Gabriel himself, co-producer Daniel Lanois, the sound engineer, backing musicians and many more.

The Classic Albums series, through interviews and video footage, uncovers the making of some of the most influential albums in music’s history. The Doors eponymous first album is universally regarded as their finest achievement and as one of the greatest debut albums in the history of rock music making it a worthy addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series. Ray Manzarek, plus the two surviving members of The Doors, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore are all featured in new interviews along with original engineer Bruce Botnick, musicians Henry Rollins and Perry Farrell and executives Billy James (Columbia Records) and Jac Holzman (Elektra Records) plus many more. What emerges is the extraordinary story of the creation of a masterpiece. This documentary, almong with many others, is part of The Doors Digital Festival on Qello Concerts: www.QelloConcerts.com/vip/TheDoorsDigitalFestival

The Doors Digital Festival is a curated collection of concerts and documentaries of, not only The Doors, but also of other artists that fans of The Doors will love.

Director Drew Stone’s The New York Hardcore Chronicles Film is an incredible journey through the community and culture of the iconic New York hardcore scene. Not the typical history of a local music scene but so much more. Shot in an episodic format, the film contains over 60 interviews, never before seen footage, photos and a blazing soundtrack. With appearances by Roger Miret & Vinnie Stigma (Agnostic Front), Lou Koller, Craig Setari (Sick Of It All) Ray Cappo (Youth Of Today), Billy Graziadei (Biohazard), Billy Milano ( S.O.D. / M.O.D.) and Mike Judge (Judge). The film addresses the community, culture, straight edge and DIY ethic of the hardcore scene in the greatest city in the world that is still vibrant, relevant and going strong to this day.

Comprised of Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson, The Band's self-titled sophomore effort spent 24 weeks in the Billboard Top 40. The album was released at a time when the US album charts were taken over by the psychedelic rock movement, and despite this, the album had the aforementioned chart success and would go on to sell over one million copies. This edition of the "Classic Albums" series focuses on The Band's follow-up to "MUSIC FROM BIG PINK". Featuring classics such as "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and "Rag Mama Rag", the story of the album is told through interviews with surviving members of The Band, fellow musicians Eric Clapton, Don Was, and George Harrison, and vintage footage. The Band is a classic album!

For some aging music fans and kids with a passion for musical history, The Replacements are rock and roll defined. This Minneapolis quartet took a teenage-punk attitude, threw it in a blender with classic and pop rock, and then poured it into a Middle American pint glass. Over the band's 12-year existence, its live sets were magical, a total mess, or both-depending on your mood and the members' respective blood alcohol levels. Gorman Bechard's remarkable history of the 'Mats takes us from their first show as the Impediments to their 1991 onstage breakup in Chicago, and everywhere in between. Bechard bravely eschews including the band's music, photos, and live footage, instead relying solely on the fans: their well-kept memories, hilarious anecdotes, and differing points of views about the foursome's wildly varied discography and infamous antics. Bechard has recruited an impressive roster of influential fans: musicians such as Husker Du, Babes in Toyland, The Decemberists, The Hold Steady, Archers of Loaf, Titus Andronicus, and Goo Goo Dolls; writers such as Jack Rabid, Legs McNeil, Robert Christgau, Jim DeRogatis, and Greg Kot; and actors such as George Wendt, Tom Arnold, and Dave Foley. Sprinkled in among that esteemed group are the more mainstream fans, who often give the most insightful and heartfelt perspectives of all. Follower or not, after taking in COLOR ME OBSESSED, you'll be ready to run home, gather some 'Mats albums, and design a perfect soundtrack of your own.

The Classic Albums series strives to be definitive, and this must-have program is fully authorized in the scope of its coverage. With complete cooperation and participation from the remaining Zappa family (sons Dweezil and Ahmet, daughter Moon, and widow Gail are all extensively interviewed) and additional interviews with Billy Bob Thornton, Alice Cooper, guitarist Steve Vai, veteran Rolling Stone critic David Fricke, and many of Zappa's closest associates and collaborators, this 97-minute documentary is packed with highlights and fascinating revelations, like the pristine precision of Zappa's hand-written compositions, Zappa's childhood fascination with the compositions of Edgard Varse, and his diligent, prolific, and disciplined, drug-free approach to recording and touring. Zappa's studio process is amazingly revealed when Dweezil and Zappa "Vaultmeister" Joe Travers sit down at a mixing table to analyze the master tapes of classic Zappa tracks like the hilariously controversial "Dyna-Moe Humm." In addition to vintage archival clips of Zappa discussing his music and career, and home movies of Zappa's band on tour during the mid-1970s, this program also includes the complete video of Zappa performing "I'm the Slime" on Saturday Night Live in 1976, live footage of a 1973 performance of "Montana," and a new performance of "Camarillo Brillo" by Dweezil's tribute band, Zappa Plays Zappa (with Dweezil playing one of his father's favorite Gibson guitars). Bonus features also include a Travers-hosted trip into the massive Zappa archives, and further deconstruction of Zappa tracks "Dirty Love" and "Nanook Rubs It." If you're a casual Zappa fan, this program will turn you into a passionate convert. For those who've loved Zappa all along, it's a little bit of heaven here on Earth.

Iron Maiden's 1982 breakthrough, The Number of the Beast its first with leather lunged vocalist Bruce Dickinson remains a heavy metal watershed, and this Classic Albums program reunites the major players (including producer Martin Birch) for the undoubted pleasure of longtime Maiden fans. The interviews with band members and rock journalists in the 50 minute program touch on Maiden's early career, then delve into the creation of songs that have become hard-rock classics: the title song came about from a nightmare that bassist-songwriter Steve Harris couldn't shake, "The Prisoner" was inspired by the Patrick McGoohan television series, and the hit "Run to the Hills" made the sort of political statement (about white men's savage treatment of native peoples) that then-Capitol Records exec Don Zimmermann notes most American fans couldn't have cared less about while head-banging.

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